GAME REPORT

Schio Prevail After Third-Quarter Rampage

Beretta-Famila Schio destroyed Nadezhda in the third quarter and won their EuroLeague Women clash in Italy on Thursday night, 81-69.

The Russians, rocked by the loss of Russia international Liudmila Sapova to an Achilles tendon injury shortly before the start of the season, still managed to lead the Group B encounter 41-34 at half-time after getting 11 points from Olga Ovcharenko, nine from Anastasiya Verameyenka and eight from Russia's EuroBasket Women MVP, Elena Danilochkina.

But Schio, roared on by their home crowd, scored the first 22 points of the second half to turn the game on its head.

Nadezhda didn't put any points on the board in the period until nearly seven minutes in, when veteran center Oxana Zakalyuzhnaya hit a jump shot.

They were outscored 31-5 in the quarter and trailed 65-46 with 10 minutes remaining.

Elena Berseneva began the fourth with a three-pointer for the Orenburg club and it ended up getting as close as 10 with 2:35 to play on another jumper by Zakalyuzhnaya.

Jenifer Nadalin was fouled and made both free-throws for Schio to stretch their lead back to 12.

After Ovcharenko sank two free-throws with 1:22 to go to make it 76-66, Janel McCarville received a pass from Laura Macchi and buried a jumper to increase the Schio lead again.

Cheryl Ford had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Italian club while Macchi finished with 15 points, five boards and eight assists.

McCarville walked off the court with 14 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Nadezhda were led by their 24-year-old center Verameyenka's 20 points and nine rebounds.

Danilochkina scored just 10 points.

COACH QUOTES

Quotes Beretta-Famila vs. Nadezhda

Nadezhda Head Coach Aleksander Kovalev: "We started this game very well, with strong defense and good shooting percentage. We lost everything between the first and the second half. We didn't play as good as we can do and in nine minutes we lost the game. We missed Sapova and Brunson, two players very important for us. Anyway, now we look forward to the next game."

Beretta Famila Schio Head Coach Maurizio Lasi: "In the first half Orenburg played really hard but our defense was not as good as we worked for. Then we changed mentality; we didn't give them any chance for easy shots and our centers played very good, very physically, in the middle of the Orenburg defense. This victory is very important to begin in the best way our EuroLeague Women season."